The verdict in three sentences
A finance director steering with monthly Excel exports makes decisions 3 to 5 weeks behind reality. A custom executive BI dashboard costs 15,000 to 40,000 EUR in 2026 in Amsterdam, delivered in 6 to 10 weeks, with real-time KPIs and automatic alerts. The key choice: custom build vs off-the-shelf tool (Power BI, Metabase) depending on your sources and volume.
What a BI dashboard budget covers
An executive dashboard links your scattered data (CRM, ERP, accounting, e-commerce) into a single reliable view. Cost mainly depends on the number of sources and calculation complexity.
| Item | 2026 cost (EUR) | Lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-source connection (ETL) | 6,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Data model + business rules | 5,000 | 2 weeks |
| Real-time KPIs + visualisations | 5,000 | 2 weeks |
| Automatic alerts (thresholds, email) | 3,000 | 1 week |
| Role-based access management | 2,500 | 1 week |
| Executive training + documentation | 2,500 | 1 week |
| Full project total | 15,000 - 40,000 | 6-10 weeks |
Management with 2 sources (accounting + CRM) and about ten KPIs stays around 18,000 EUR. A multi-site group with ERP, e-commerce and consolidation reaches 40,000 EUR.
Custom build vs Power BI / Metabase
The real question is not just the upfront price, but the total 3-year cost including licences.
| Criterion | Custom | Power BI | Metabase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost (10 KPIs) | 15,000-25,000 EUR | 8,000-15,000 EUR | 6,000-12,000 EUR |
| Licence / user / month | 0 EUR | ~10 EUR | 0 EUR (open source) |
| Hosting cost / month | 40-120 EUR | included cloud | 30-80 EUR |
| UX customisation | Full | Limited | Medium |
| Complex business alerts | Native | Add-on | Basic |
| 3-year cost (15 users) | ~28,000 EUR | ~24,000 EUR | ~18,000 EUR |
Metabase wins on raw cost for standard needs. Custom is justified when your calculation rules are specific (margins by channel, customer cohorts) or the executive experience must be flawless.
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Mini case study
Daan, CFO of an 8-branch distribution group in Amsterdam, spends 2 days each month consolidating Excel exports, i.e. 16 h valued at 55 EUR/h = 880 EUR/month, plus decision lag. He invests 26,000 EUR in a custom BI dashboard connected to his ERP and accounting, with alerts on branches running below margin. Direct gain: 880 EUR/month of consolidation removed, plus a corrective action spotted 4 weeks earlier on a loss-making branch that avoided 9,000 EUR in quarterly losses. ROI on time alone: 26,000 / 880 = 29.5 months; factoring in faster decisions, real payback drops below 10 months.
FAQ
Does real-time mean second-by-second refresh? No, most management teams are happy with hourly or 15-minute refresh, plenty enough and cheaper than a continuous stream.
Can several different tools be connected? Yes, that is the core of an executive dashboard. The ETL layer (around 6,000 EUR) unifies CRM, ERP, accounting and e-commerce, even heterogeneous ones.
Do we need an in-house data analyst? Not for usage: the dashboard is built to be read by management without technical skills. An internal point of contact is enough to validate evolution needs.
How much is annual maintenance? Allow 10 to 15 % of the initial budget per year, i.e. 2,000 to 5,000 EUR, for connection monitoring and adding new KPIs.
Custom or Power BI to start? If your KPIs are standard and budget is tight, start on Metabase or Power BI. Move to custom when your business rules become too specific for the tool.
Let's scope your project. Specify your data sources, target number of KPIs and users, and we will cost the custom option and the Power BI/Metabase alternative. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
